Figure in Dogs
by holadios
Summary: How does Chase figure his last year on earth? Facing a death sentence cancer diagnosis, this is Chase making his last memories with Cameron and the one thing every cancer patient should have: a dog. Threeshot, character death.
1. No Other Road

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**A/N:** I am forever indebted to Pandorama for working with me on this story back when it was called One Second to Die and for not giving up on me when it looked like all was hopeless. I am also indebted to Melissa who is the official beta on this version of the story for all her expertise and nit-picky work.

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><p><em>Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes; <em>

_How do you figure a last year on earth?_

_i._

She arrived home to a quiet house, which she had to admit was a little disconcerting. According to her watch, it was just after six. She glanced in all of the rooms on the way to the bedroom, calling his name, but they were empty, as she had suspected—even feared. Cameron pushed open the door to the bedroom knowing what she would find.

The can of ginger ale that she had left on the nightstand that morning was still there, and he was lying in bed beside it. It was the day after Chase's first chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma. Since his diagnosis a week ago, she still hadn't accepted the fact she was going to watch another man, another husband, die.

She had planned to take the day off, but at the last minute, her presence had been demanded (by an apologetic Cuddy) at work. Hesitant as she was to leave Chase alone for an entire day after chemotherapy, he had insisted that it would be all right—that _he _would be all right. And perhaps it had been; he might have been lying in bed because he was so tired from taking care of himself for the entire day.

She pulled off her shoes as she drew closer to the bed and then climbed up next to him. He didn't move as she joined him, reinforcing her belief that he was asleep. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered. "I'm home."

Slowly, he rolled over to face her. She was unpleasantly surprised to see how pale he looked. "Hey," he repeated back to her.

"How are you?"

He groaned. "Feel like crap."

"I'm sorry," Cameron replied, with a small, sympathetic smile. She leaned forward and kissed him chastely. "Would you be able to keep down dinner?"

"I can try," he said. "Maybe just a sandwich?"

"Sure." She reached over him to grab the ginger ale can from the nightstand. Expecting it to be empty, she was surprised when liquid splashed out of the can and onto the bed. As she watched the puddle of liquid spread on the sheets, she realized what it meant that the can had still been full.

She sat up and stared at him. "You didn't drink any of this." She couldn't quite make the words sound like a question.

He shook his head.

"Eat anything? Did you get up at all today?"

He sighed and looked away from her. "I tried a few times."

"You _tried_?" she repeated. "That's it? You can't just lie in bed all day! You have to eat and take fluids! You can't-" Cameron stopped abruptly then, realizing that she was yelling. She rarely yelled under normal circumstances, and yelling at him now, when he was weak and sick, and she had been absent all day, just made her feel guilty and mean. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "This is my fault. I should have _told_ Cuddy that I couldn't go in to work today."

"I told you to go," he pressed.

"And I should have known better not to," she countered. "I shouldn't have left you alone after treatment. You weren't ready to take care of yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied, and she was heartened to hear a note of anger in his voice. At least he wasn't too weak to fight back. "You have to go to work."

"And you have to get out of bed," she reminded him.

He sighed. "I know."

For a moment, she simply looked at him. Then her compassion overwhelmed her anger, and she stood up and reached out her hand.

"Try again."

_ii._

They entered the small building and were met by a ruckus of animal sounds. Dogs barked and cats hissed at the others in the store. They walked quickly to the back, where the dogs' barking increased in volume. Cameron looked around for a staff member, but the ones she could see were all busy. It did not surprise her: it was spring, which meant baby animal season, and the staff were doubtless introducing puppies and kittens to over-eager children and their exasperated parents.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

Chase's question caught her off guard, if only because he was the one who had been pushing the issue in the first place. It had been Wilson's recommendation, which she had taken as a semi-joke at first, but Chase hadn't been able to give the idea up. Finally, he had persuaded her to at least visit the animal shelter.

"I don't see anything wrong with just taking a look around," Cameron replied. "Why, what's up?"

He grinned. "You know you won't be able to walk away without an animal."

"That's not true!" she protested, though she knew in her heart he was right, and that her visit to simply "look" at animals was really just her way of giving into Chase's request to get a pet without actually conceding to him. "I can have self-control sometimes."

"Right, sometimes," he smirked. "Here, kitty, kitty!" Chase tried to coax an orange tabby into inching its nose out to his finger.

"We are not getting a cat."

"Who said we were getting anything at all?" The cat had now begun rubbing up against the bars of its cage, begging silently to be let out.

"No one," she replied quickly. "But if we're going to look around, we have to at least look at the realistic choices."

"Like a big, territorial dog?"

"First of all," Cameron began, taking him by the hand and leading him away from the cages of cats, "if you think we're getting a big dog, you're either out of your mind, or the cancer has metastasized to your brain. Second, you heard what Wilson said. Getting a dog can be very helpful for cancer patients. It forces you to get up and move around no matter how bad you feel after the chemo, since the dog is your responsibility."

"Technically, Wilson said any pet would do," he reminded her.

"Yes," she agreed, "but cats aren't as friendly as dogs; they'll leave you alone. And they don't need to be taken on walks three times a day. The whole idea is to avoid another… another _episode_ like the one you had last week."

"Okay, fine, we'll get a dog, then."

"No, we'll _look_ at the dogs," she corrected him. "No one said anything about-"

"Hey, look at this one!"

She turned around. Chase was standing in front of the cage of a medium-sized golden retriever. She looked at the information card on the door of the cage.

"Hello, my name is Jasper, and I'm five years old." She cringed at the silly, first-person nature of the card. "I enjoy long walks and playing with my chew balls. Please give me a loving home." She surveyed the dog; he looked all right. Glancing back at the card, she raised her eyebrows. "Reason for surrender: Needs a very active owner." Cameron looked reproachfully at the dog. "That's code for 'I chew more than chew balls.' I don't think you're the one for us."

Chase nodded his agreement and they walked down the row of cages. They passed several empty cages, as well as ones with big dogs that barked incessantly at them when they passed. Cameron was starting to despair that the only small dogs there would be puppies, and she certainly didn't want to find herself in charge of house-breaking one of them.

They finally stopped again at the end of the row. A cocker spaniel turned its head, surveying them. Cameron noticed its fur was speckled with grey. She reached for the information card, but Chase got there first.

"Hello, my name is Lucy. I know my fur is gray but it's speckled with love. My owner died last year and I've been looking for a loving home since. Please take me home with you." He finished reading and knelt down in front of the cage. "Here, Lucy!" He reached his fingers in through the bar at the cocker spaniel.

"Careful," Cameron warned. But Lucy sniffed his hand tentatively and then nudged it eagerly. She smiled at the dog's obvious joy at the attention.

"_Please take me home with you."  
><em>

_iii._

"Lucy!"

The cocker spaniel bounded toward Cameron, the leash dragging on the ground behind her. Cameron dropped to her knees in front of her as Lucy rolled on her back, clearly waiting to be petted. Lucy's tail beat the ground frantically as her wishes were met.

After a few moments of this, Cameron looked up, expecting to see Chase nearby. There was no one else around. She frowned. Where was he?

"Why are you alone?" she asked Lucy, as if the dog could answer. Lucy simply wagged her tail in response.

Cameron straightened up, despite Lucy's insistence that she continue rubbing her, and looked around as if Chase would materialize from thin air any moment. She felt disoriented, seeing Lucy by herself. She'd thought Chase had simply dropped the leash when he realized Lucy was making a beeline for her, but she'd have been able to see him by now if that were the case. What did this mean? Had Chase collapsed while walking her? Should she start running down the street to look for him, calling 911?

"Lucy, where is he?" she asked, unable to keep the panic from her voice. "What happened?"

Lucy suddenly took off, bounding down the street toward a lone figure who was approaching. Cameron exhaled a deep sigh of relief upon seeing it was Chase.

"You scared me," she said breathlessly when Chase was close enough to hear her.

"What?" Chase asked, frowning.

"You scared me," Cameron repeated. "When I saw Lucy and you weren't there, I thought – I thought that maybe you-"

"Had died?" His voice was quiet, but his eyes flashed. She knew he hated feeling like she was smothering him with over-protectiveness.

"No – just that you were hurt, or not okay, or something-" she tried to explain.

"You worry too much, Allison," he said simply. Lucy's tail stopped wagging upon seeing how upset her owners seemed to be.

"Don't tell me I worry too much," Cameron insisted. "I was _scared_, I thought you were hurt, or worse, dead, and I don't know what I would do if you – if you…" Tears filled her eyes.

"Hey…" He stepped toward her and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, it's okay. I'm okay." He wrapped his arms around her. Lucy crawled into the space between their legs, settling herself down on Chase's feet.

Cameron sighed, feeling the wave of heightened emotion drain out of her. "Don't ever do that again."

"Drop the leash?"

She shook her head. "Scare me."

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><p><strong>AN:** Please review if you feel so inclined. There will be three chapters total, and the other two are ready to be posted!


	2. No Other Way

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it isn't mine.

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I am so happy with the great response! Thanks again to Pandorama for being a source of inspiration and Melissa for beta'ing this chapter multiple times.

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><p><em> Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes;<br>How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?_

_iv._

The stick flew through the air toward the lake. Lucy had already begun bounding after it before it had even hit the ground. She snatched the stick up and returned at a run, depositing the stick at Chase's feet, eager to play the game again. Chase leaned forward and picked the stick up. Lucy stepped back, dancing on the spot in anticipation for it to be thrown again. As soon as the stick was in the air, she took off after it. Cameron smiled softly as she watched their game.

"It was a good idea to come here," Chase reflected as Lucy returned with the stick once more. He threw it again.

"Yeah, I haven't been to this park in a while," she replied. They were sitting on a bench facing a lake. As it was a Saturday, the playground behind them was full of children; Cameron could hear them laughing and screaming. She turned around in time to see a chain of children barreling down the slide, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her heart that she would never have children with Chase.

"Hey, that's my ball!" One of the pig-tailed girls was running away from her friends, chasing something Cameron couldn't see. She looked around to see what the girl was running after.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Lucy!"

Lucy had returned again, but without the stick. Instead, she held a large red ball in her mouth. This, too, she deposited on the ground, wagging her tail, clearly anticipating lavish praise. She watched the ball eagerly as Cameron picked it up.

"No, Lucy," Cameron said firmly. She rubbed the ball against the fabric of her jeans, trying to wipe off Lucy's slobber. She noticed the pig-tailed girl had reached where they were sitting.

"I'm sorry," Chase apologized. "Lucy must have thought your ball was her toy."

The girl laughed. "She's like my baby brother. He takes my toys all the time, too." She reached out her hand to Cameron, who handed the now-dry ball back. The girl knelt down in front of Lucy, placing the ball in front of her nose. "Do you want my ball?" she asked. Lucy bounced up and down in anticipation. "Fetch!" The ball went flying through the air, but it wasn't thrown very high or far, so Lucy caught the ball quickly and returned it. The girl squealed with delight when Lucy dropped the ball at her feet. "You're such a good doggie!" she exclaimed, patting her on the head. Lucy's tail wagged even faster. The girl turned back to Cameron and Chase. "Can I throw it again?"

"Sure," Chase said, nodding. Cameron watched Lucy sprint after the ball again.

"Ooh, look! Zoey found a dog!"

"That's not a dog, stupid. It's a puppy!"

Two more girls ran over to where Lucy was playing. The girl called Zoey smiled at them as they approached. Cameron could have sworn Lucy was going to jump out of her skin out of excitement at all the attention she was getting.

"Aww, it's so cute!"

"Can we pet it?"

"Just let her smell you first," Cameron warned as the girls crowded in around the dog. But she needn't have worried; Lucy immediately rolled on her back and looked more than content to lie there and be petted for however long she could be. She watched the girls and the dog carefully for a minute, and then sat back and leaned her head on Chase's shoulder.

"She does really well with kids," he remarked.

"Yes, she does," Cameron agreed. It seemed Lucy had caught sight of the ball again because she was now on her feet, and one of the new girls was holding the ball above her head. Lucy darted forward as soon as the ball was thrown, and the girls ran after her, laughing. Cameron watched them carefully to see where they ended up, but they hadn't gone far, and they were clearly as enamored with Lucy as she was with them.

"Do you ever wonder whether we should have done it?"

Cameron sat up and looked at him. "Done what?"

"Had children," he answered quietly.

She covered her hand with his. "We still can." It was true: some of his sperm had been frozen before he had begun the chemotherapy.

"But not really," he protested. "I mean, sure, you can use the sperm and get pregnant but it's not the same. I-" He dropped his voice. "I won't be around to see them grow up. I might not even live long enough to see them born."

She bit her lip. "You…" She wanted to say it was possible, but she knew in her heart there was only the slimmest of chances. "We can still do it," she insisted. "You still have time. You may not see them grow up, but you might at least see them born if we did it now-"

"No." He was already shaking his head. "I wouldn't do that to you. You shouldn't have to carry a child while I'm dying."

"But-"

"Allison, it's okay." She followed his gaze as he looked over at Lucy, who was on her back, wagging her tail so fast it was practically a blur.

He smiled wryly, but when he spoke, his voice was full of love. "We have Lucy."

_v._

The sounds of retching and running water eventually woke her, as they had every bad night. She bolted up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Even now, despite the months of chemotherapy, he always seemed to think he didn't need her help. And maybe he didn't, but that didn't stop her from joining him on the bathroom floor every night that it happened.

As she hurried to the bathroom, she prepared herself for what she was going to see. Despite her willingness – her desperate need, even – to be there with him, she never got over the shock and horror of seeing him on the floor, sweat dotting his brow as he heaved into the toilet bowl. He protested each time she came; she still remembered the first time when he angrily threw her out of the bathroom, though she hung around in the hallway and listened the entire time, tears streaming down her face. But as the weeks grew on, his protests grew feebler; most of the time, he only managed an exasperated roll of the eyes.

Lucy was already there when she arrived. The dog's eyes were wide with confusion as she listened to the strange sounds her owner was making. She placed her front paws on Chase's leg and tried to push herself up so she could get a better view at what he was looking at. Even at a time like this, Cameron could not help marveling at the innocent curiosity of animals.

"Lucy," she muttered from the doorway. Lucy's head flicked toward her, but her body remained rigid with uncertainty. "Lucy, get down." The cocker spaniel's paws dropped back to the ground. "Come here."

But she didn't move. Instead, she walked around behind Chase and settled herself defiantly in the small space between her master and the wall, out of Cameron's reach. Cameron hurried forward and put one hand tentatively on Chase's shoulder. She knelt down behind him and slowly traced circles on his back.

"I'm here," she reminded him.

One of his hands found hers and squeezed it. She was no longer surprised to feel that it was covered in sweat. Lucy, once she sensed she would not be thrown out of the room, tentatively crawled out of her hiding place and tried to slide underneath Chase's arm so she could lick his face.

"Lucy, get back," Cameron said exasperatedly. But Chase leaned back instead, sucking in heavy breaths of air as the last waves of nausea left him. Cameron reached forward and flushed the vomit down the toilet as Lucy settled herself onto his leg, worming her way underneath his other hand.

She squeezed the hand she was holding. "You okay?"

He leaned his head on her shoulder in response and closed his eyes. She was not surprised that Lucy had already closed her eyes as well. Cameron continued to hold his hand until she felt it relax completely in hers. Overcome by exhaustion, he had finally fallen asleep.

_vi._

Cameron was jerked awake from her restless sleep by the sound of something that sounded like claws on wood. She sat up, stretching her arms to release the tension that had built from her uncomfortable sleeping position. She had stumbled into the house around five in the morning after being awake for more than twenty-four hours with only weak E.R. coffee to sustain her. She hadn't even made it to the bedroom.

Cameron strained her ears, listening for the strange sound again. There it was – it was definitely the sound of claws scratching the front door. She paused uncertainly, wondering whether she should go see what it was. As she stood up to go look out the window, she heard what was unmistakably one of Lucy's whines. Immediately, Cameron went to the front door and pulled it open.

"Lucy?"

Lucy dashed inside the house, her leash trailing behind her. She darted toward water dish and began lapping greedily. Cameron peered outside the door to see where Chase was, but he was nowhere to be seen.

And then, her tired mind put the two together.

"Oh, my God!"

Her mind suddenly clear, she stuffed her feet into the first pair of shoes she found. She knew she had to find him as quickly as possible, but found herself momentarily frozen, wondering what, if anything, she should bring. _Oxygen? Water?_ She grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and snatched up Lucy's leash.

"Come on, girl," she chirped to Lucy. "Where's Chase, girl? Where is he?" She tried to keep the panic out of her voice, but judging by Lucy's concerned eyes, she wasn't doing a great job. She ran out the door and tore down the street, Lucy keeping pace at her side. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she ran past mailbox after mailbox, wondering what she was going to find when she found him, fearing the worst…

"Lucy, where is he?" she half-asked the dog, half-muttered to herself. He had to be around here, he always took Lucy on the same path…

He was sitting on the third bench she passed, his head in his hands. She exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw that he was shaking; he was alive. Cameron rushed over to him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. Lucy jumped on the bench next to him and stuck her head underneath his chin.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at the sound of her voice. His face was drained of color. "Can't - breathe."

"Okay." She knelt down in front of him and pressed two fingers to his wrist, feeling for his pulse. His heart was racing.

"Look at me," she said quietly. He obliged. "Take my hands." She felt him wrap his fingers around hers, and tried to ignore how badly his hands were shaking. "Match your breathing to mine."

She breathed deeply, watching him copy her. He shuddered and she could see his breathing and heart rate slowly return to normal.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm okay."

She sat down on the bench next to him, and wrapped her arm around him. He leaned into her side, and Lucy crawled onto his lap. "I'm sorry I scared you," he muttered.

She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Shut up."

_vii._

She knew something was wrong as soon as she opened the door. As she attempted to balance the grocery bag in one hand and close the door at the same time, Lucy bounded up to her, frantically trying to dash out the front door before she closed it. Cameron checked her watch as she set the bag down on the counter; it was after six. She bit her lip. She had only been gone an hour, and that past hour had been Lucy's prime time to go outside.

And she knew that Chase knew it, too.

Frowning, she dropped her keys on the counter next to the bag and walked down the hallway to the bedroom, Lucy close at her heels. When she had left, he had been lying down on their bed, but he had insisted he would be getting up soon, and that he knew Lucy had to be let outside. Although it didn't surprise her to find him in their bedroom, it did worry her to see that he had barely moved since she had last seen him an hour ago. Yesterday had been a treatment day, and she knew that those were continuously taking their toll, but he had never failed to take care of Lucy before.

"Hey," she said softly as she entered the room.

He turned his head slightly to look at her. "Hey."

"Do you know what time it is?" As if to remind him, Lucy leapt on the bed and settled herself by his feet.

He groaned. "I can't."

"You can," she said, as she walked over to his side of the bed. "Come on." She extended out her hand. "I'll help you get up."

"Can't you do it?"

"No," she replied, "you really should do it." She grabbed his hand. "Lucy wants to go on a walk with you, not me. Come on, try to get up."

He tightened his grip on her hand and shifted to his side. Lucy jumped down from the bed and ran to the door expectantly. Realizing how much of his weight she was supporting, Cameron took his hand with both of hers. "Come on, use your other hand to push yourself up," she instructed.

She saw him attempt it, but his hand would not support his weight. Refusing to let this deter them, she insisted, "Try again." Fear fought frustration as she watched him struggle. Part of her hoped that he wasn't trying, that the cancer and chemotherapy hadn't weakened his body to the point where he could no longer get up to take out the dog, but that frustrated her as much as it comforted her. How could he get better if he didn't try?

"I can't," he repeated.

"Not with that attitude, you can't," she snapped, frustration getting the better of her at last. His eyes widened and she immediately dropped his hands and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm so sorry. Please – I didn't mean-"

"You think I'm not trying?" His voice was low, but it was unmistakably angry. "You think I _like_ lying here, unable to move, listening to you with your pathetic words of encouragement, trying to get me to get up? Like I hadn't tried to get up a thousand times in the past hour?" She shook her head frantically, but he barreled on, "You think I like listening to Lucy whine at the door, waiting for you to come home? And then you did, but she still hasn't gone out because you've been in here trying to get me to do something you and I both know isn't going to happen. So just spare us both and take out the damn dog."

For a long moment he glared at her, and all she could do was stare back. Then she turned away, though she knew he would see the tears anyway. Lucy was waiting for her at the front door. Cameron snatched the leash from the hook by the door and bent down to clip it to her collar. She brushed Lucy's furry head and smiled slightly when the dog responded by licking her hand. "Come on, girl," she said, opening the front door. Lucy bolted forward into the front yard.

How long they stayed outside, she didn't know. It was long after Lucy had finished terrorizing the last squirrel and had settled herself with her head on Cameron's foot before Cameron realized night had almost fallen. She prodded Lucy, and then picked up her leash from the ground. Lucy stood up, suddenly alert, eager to return inside, presumably for a belated dinner.

Chase was waiting for her when she opened the door. Lucy rushed toward him as soon as her leash had been unclipped from her collar, but Cameron stayed where she was, rearranging the leash on the hook.

"You're up," she said finally.

"I didn't want to fall asleep angry."

She stepped forward and hugged him, wishing she could never let go.

_viii._

He must have known she was still awake, for when he spoke, it was clearly directed at her.

"Do you have any thoughts about the funeral?"

She rolled onto her side to face him, though she couldn't make out his features clearly in the dark. She could feel Lucy's warm body somewhere near her feet. "What?"

"The funeral," he replied. "Do you have any thoughts?"

_Did she have any thoughts about the funeral_? It was happening more often now; he would make comments that clearly referenced his impending death. While she supposed part of her should have been as practical as he, there was another part that still hoped some kind of miracle would save him at the last second. She tried not to let this bother her, or at least not to let him see how it discomforted her; she felt the least she could do was follow his lead when it came to any discussion on death. But it was hard to follow his lead, when she wanted to avoid his death at all costs. She couldn't deal with it in the daytime, let alone in the middle of the night. She didn't like to think about how many nights they still had together.

With great effort, she dragged herself from her brooding thoughts. "The funeral," she repeated. "No. Why would I?" She could feel Lucy shifting at the end of the bed and sure enough, she began to crawl toward them, her soft eyes filled with concern that there were voices at this hour.

"Well…" She saw him reach for Lucy and wondered if he felt as uncomfortable about this topic as she did. "I suppose because it's necessary." He began to rub Lucy behind the ears, avoiding eye contact.

"Necessary." The word fell from her lips unnaturally. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because I'm dying?" he suggested dryly.

"I meant in the middle of the night," she snapped.

"Oh." She felt him recoil and immediately regretted snapping. "Just on my mind, I guess," he mumbled.

She sighed, trying to remind herself that he wasn't asking to upset her, but because it was a practical concern. Somehow, that didn't make it hurt any less.

"No," she admitted. "I hadn't really thought about it. I, um, was going to ask you what you thought about everything. You know, like the details…"

"Details," he repeated. "Yeah, okay."

"Do you have any thoughts about, you know, that stuff?"

"Yeah," he said. "I have a few opinions."

"Like?" she prompted him, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"I don't want to be cremated."

She nodded, then remembered he probably couldn't see her. "Okay."

Beside her, Lucy whined softly.

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><p><strong>AN:** The next chapter will be the last. I appreciate any and all reviews!


	3. No Day But Today

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize es mio.

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews mean the world to me. This chapter is the last, and as you've all guessed, it is going to be sad, and someone is going to die. Thank you for sticking with me to the bitter end. As always, thanks to Melissa for betaing and Pandorama for being awesome.

**For Jimmy. He would have been 89 today.**

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><p><em>In truths that he learned,<em>  
><em> Or in times that she cried.<em>

_ In bridges she burned,_  
><em> Or the way that he died.<em>

_ix._

It was growing late. Cameron shifted her position slightly on the couch, trying to shake some feeling back into her arm without waking Chase or Lucy. He had fallen asleep halfway through the movie, with his head on a pillow in her lap and his dog tucked protectively under one of his arms. At her movement, Lucy perked her head up, ever alert. Cameron scratched her fluffy head and then directed her softly to move. Obediently, Lucy obliged; she squirmed out of Chase's grasp and then leapt to the floor. Once the dog was clear, Cameron placed her hands under the pillow and lifted it up enough that she was able to slide out from underneath. She was grateful that Chase had not woken up; she knew he needed to rest. Cameron picked up one of the blankets from the floor and covered him with it. She leaned over to kiss his forehead, but when her lips touched his skin, she drew back immediately. He was burning up.

Biting her lip, Cameron hastened to the bathroom and grabbed the thermometer from the counter. She began running cold water as she grabbed hand towels to make a compress. When she returned, she found Lucy had jumped back on the couch in her absence and settled herself by his feet. She tried to ignore the thought that even Lucy looked worried. Cameron placed the compress on Chase's forehead and the thermometer on the coffee table.

"Hey," she whispered urgently, shaking his shoulder. "Robert, wake up!" For one terrifying moment, she feared he wouldn't respond, but then he groaned. "Come on," she encouraged him.

He opened his eyes suddenly. She saw the realization hit him as worry clouded his features.

"Something's wrong," he whispered.

"I know." She showed him the thermometer and he opened his mouth to accept it. Lucy had come closer for further inspection, and Cameron petted her head as she waited for the thermometer to beep. When it did, she took it and quickly read the result.

"How bad?"

"102.3," Cameron read aloud. She squeezed his hand. "I'll be right back, I'm calling Wilson."

Her phone was lying on the kitchen table. She grabbed it and searched the contacts. Wilson had provided her with his cell number at their last meeting, with the grave, _just in case_, warning. She had programmed it into her phone without a thought, hoping fervently that she would never have to use it. He answered on the second ring.

"We are going to the hospital," she informed Chase as she returned to the living room. "Wilson's in his office still and he'll be waiting for us when we get there." Cameron strode over to the couch and lifted Lucy down from her perch on Chase's chest. She reached for his hands next. "Come on, let's get you up." As he grabbed her hands, she was forcibly reminded of her attempt a few weeks ago to get him to his feet. Judging from the grimaced expression on his face, she could see he remembered it, too. "Okay, stop," she said, when she realized she wouldn't be able to pull him to his feet that way. "Tell me what you need me to do."

He was silent for a minute as he thought, and then said, "Let me put my arm around your shoulder." Immediately she leaned over so that he could. She tried to ignore how hot his arm was against her neck as he asked, "Can you try to pull me up now?"

Cameron slid her arm beneath his upper back and tested his weight. "I think so." Lucy scuffled away from them as Cameron took several steps backward, pulling him first to a sitting position, and then completely up from the couch. He found his balance more after a few moments of standing, for which she was grateful, but he still leaned heavily into her, and she kept a firm grasp on him, so he would not stumble. They made their way to the door, Cameron snatching up the car keys from the counter as they went. As soon as she undid the lock and the door swung open, Lucy rushed outside, clearl**y** anticipating a joy ride.

"Lucy!" she called, as Lucy went bounding into the street toward the car. "Come back here!" Lucy ignored her, waiting impatiently for the car door to open. Unable to leave Chase unsupported to retrieve the dog, Cameron was forced to unlock the door. When it opened, Lucy leapt into the front seat. Cameron shoved her over to the driver's side so that she could get Chase inside, Lucy wagging her tail expectantly as she saw her master being lowered into the car. Once Chase was in, and the door was closed, Cameron opened the driver's side door to retrieve the dog, who had already made her way to Chase's open lap.

"You can't come with us, Lucy," Cameron told her as she reached across to pick her up. "You're not allowed inside a hospital." Lucy's eyes widened when she felt herself being lifted from her Chase's lap and removed from the interior of the car. She immediately began to squirm, but Cameron carried her to the still-open door, deposited her on the floor, and then quickly swung the door closed. Lucy's whines still echoed in her ears as she made her way back to the car.

_x._

Cameron checked the rearview mirror as she pulled into the hospital parking lot. Lucy was still lying in the backseat with her head on her paws, supremely indifferent to Cameron's attempts to coax her into the front seat. She wondered if the dog were still upset after her unceremonious removal from the car the day before. When she shut off the ignition, Cameron could hear Lucy's low whines.

"What's wrong?" she asked, twisting around so that she could reach Lucy's head. She extended her hand slowly, not wanting to scare Lucy into snapping at her fingers. Lucy watched her hand with trepidation, but finally allowed Cameron to pat her head. "Nervous?"

She wasn't entirely sure that her decision to bring Lucy to the hospital was a good idea, but she had promised Chase that she would. She had left late the night before, only after he insisted that Lucy had to be taken out, which necessitated that she return home. Wilson had promised to call her if anything changed, but he never had, which she took as a good sign. She absently scratched Lucy's ears and stifled a yawn. It was early, but she hadn't been able to stay away from the hospital any longer.

She realized as she opened the door that she couldn't exactly take Lucy inside the hospital. Chase would have to be brought out to her. Regret filled her when she saw Lucy's eyes filling with shocked sadness at being shut inside the car, left alone once again while Cameron left to do something with her owner. Cameron had rolled the window down slightly so that Lucy would have fresh air, and she could see the tips of Lucy's paw peeking out from the crack as the dog scrambled against the glass, trying to find a way out.

"I'll be back soon," she promised. "I'm going to go get him, okay? Just wait here."

Lucy didn't seem placated, but Cameron couldn't do anything about it. Tearing herself away from Lucy's wide eyes, she locked the car door and ran up the sidewalk to the hospital entrance.

Almost immediately, she ran into Wilson, and his expression filled her with dread. She had seen that look many times before, with previous patients, with her former husband...it never led to anything good. Her mind felt slow and numb. But he hadn't called…if something were really wrong he said he would call…

"I was just about to call you," he said in a low voice as she approached the reception desk. He indicated for her to follow him.

"What happened?" Her fear was so suffocating she could barely breathe.

He stopped her, then, gently grabbing hold of her arms. She recognized the trick.

"Allison-"

"Just tell me," she interrupted. The use of her first name scared her even more.

"His fever is down from last night," Wilson began. Cameron waited for him to continue, hardly daring to exhale a sigh of relief. If the fever were down, it couldn't be that bad…She waited for the inevitable 'but.'

"But I did a chest x-ray," he continued. "I'm-" The fact he stopped himself before saying "sorry" did not go unnoticed by Cameron. "He has pneumonia," he finally said.

"Pneumonia," Cameron repeated. The word fell from her lips. It was a death sentence. The chemotherapy would have eradicated his immune system. "How long?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Wilson shrugged helplessly. "A day, maybe more. I'm-" She noticed that he hesitated again, but this time, it seemed he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…" Wilson seemed to realize how feeble his words sounded to her, for his voice trailed off. "He's been asking for you, if you want to see him now," he said softly.

She nodded, blinking back tears. She didn't want Chase to see her upset, knowing it would only upset him more. She wondered then if he knew, but Wilson answered her silent question.

"I already told him."

Cameron could only nod again, not trusting herself to speak. They continued the rest of the way in silence. Wilson squeezed her shoulder when they reached the door. "He should be awake."

Chase was awake when she entered the room, but he wasn't the only one. Grief was momentarily driven from her mind at the sight of Lucy sitting on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"You shouldn't leave a dog alone in a parked car," House said. He was sitting in the chair Cameron had occupied for so many hours the night before. "She might suffocate. Die of heat stroke or something."

"You – she – we can't have a dog in here!" Cameron finally managed to say. She glared at House. How could he not have known about Wilson's diagnosis, Chase's fate? Lucy was surely infested with bacteria that would only make his health decline faster.

"I tried to sterilize her before we came in," House defended, "but the sink wasn't big enough. And the HAZMAT suits aren't meant for four-legged peoples."

"House," Wilson said quietly. Cameron saw the understanding pass between them; though House was silenced by Wilson's look, Cameron knew exactly what he hadn't said. _It doesn't matter anyway, he'll be dead tomorrow…_

House rose from his chair, crossed the room, and exited with Wilson. Lucy dropped her head onto Chase's knee as the door closed again.

Cameron looked worriedly at Lucy, but Chase shook his head. "Just let her stay."

She accepted his request; after all, Lucy's germs probably wouldn't make much of a difference at this point. She walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. Her eyes searched his. "Are you scared?"

He didn't answer her directly, but instead asked, "Are you?"

She didn't want to respond honestly, because she didn't want to upset him further, but he seemed to have read the response in her face anyway. "Good," he whispered, as he took her hand. "We can be scared together."

_xi._

Lucy was beginning to whine, and Cameron knew it was time for her to go out. She thought about waking Chase, but he was asleep and she didn't want to disturb him. She quietly beckoned to Lucy and showed her the leash. Lucy leapt off the bed, the bell and tag on her collar jingling noisily.

She had just finished fastening the leash to Lucy's collar when he spoke.

"Allison?"

She straightened up and turned around. "Hey. Lucy needs to go out. We'll be back soon, okay? Just go back to sleep."

"No," he said as he struggled to pull himself into a sitting position. "Take me with you."

She bit her lip. "You can't walk."

He shrugged. "So put me in the wheelchair."

"I…" She threw a glance at the chair sitting in the corner of the room. "Robert, I don't know-" Lucy began to whine louder.

"Please?" he said, over Lucy's whines.

She hesitated only a second longer. "Yeah – okay. Fine." She dropped Lucy's leash and went over to get the chair. She wheeled it over to him, and then pulled back the sheets so that she could help him up. He reached up his arms for her to take, and she became aware of how much weight he had lost in such a short amount of time. She slipped her arms around his shoulders. "Can you push yourself up?"

He placed his hands on the bed, but struggled to lift himself up from the mattress. He fell back, a heavy breath escaping his lips. "No…" She heard the fear in his voice.

"I can try lifting you?" she suggested.

He shook his head. "You're not strong enough."

She knew he was right; even with the weight he had lost, she'd never be able to get him into the chair himself. "Do you want me to call Wilson? Foreman?" Lucy emitted another high-pitched whine, and Cameron knew they were out of time, unless she wanted to clean up puddles next. "You know what, screw it." She pushed up the side rails of the gurney so that it could be transported. "Let's go."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It's probably not allowed."

"Cuddy won't care," she answered truthfully. "Come on, Lucy." Lucy bounded over to her, and Cameron snatched up the leash. Wrapping it around her wrist, she pushed the gurney out of the room, Lucy at her heels.

They did pass Cuddy, as they reached the hospital doors, but she understood immediately what was happening. Instead of reprimanding them, she held open the door for them and squeezed Cameron's shoulder as she passed. "Let me know if you need anything," she murmured into Cameron's ear.

As soon as Lucy saw grass, she lurched forward. Cameron dropped the leash to avoid being dragged along with her. Instead, she pushed the gurney carefully down the sidewalk, trying to avoid bouncing on the uneven cracks. Once they had reached the end of the walk, she pushed the gurney onto the grass, and locked it in place. Lucy ran over to them as soon as she was done relieving herself.

"Well, that was quick," Cameron remarked. Lucy wagged her tail in response, clearly anticipating she was going to be played with now that she was outside.

"Help me sit up," Chase requested. Cameron helped him sit forward so that she could rearrange the pillows behind him.

"Can you see her now?" she asked. He nodded.

"Go find a stick, Lucy," he told her quietly. "Want to play fetch?"

Cameron felt a nervous twinge; would Chase even be able to throw a stick? She watched as Lucy ran away from them, searching the ground for a suitable play-thing. She returned a few minutes later with a large stick in her mouth, looking immensely pleased with herself. Cameron reached over and took the stick out of Lucy's mouth.

"Here," she said, showing it to Chase. "Do you want me to throw it for you?"

He shook his head. "No, I can do it." She looked at him uncertainly, but handed over the stick all the same. He took it from her, and then hurled it as far as he could. It fell a foot away from the gurney. Lucy only had to turn around to pick it up.

"Well that failed miserably," he remarked. "Sorry, girl."

"Here," Cameron said as she picked the stick up again. "Why don't we throw it together?" She grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the back of her own. Then she drew her arm back and threw the stick. Lucy brought it back immediately, her tail wagging frantically.

"Good girl," she heard Chase murmur. "Such a smart girl."

They played several more rounds of the game before Cameron sensed the last of Chase's strength was finally leaving him.

She knew was going to die.

_xii._

She could feel his body trembling beneath the thin sheets and she knew it was time. She had been lying with him for almost two hours. Lucy was there, too, faithfully resting her head on his knee, gazing up at him with her adoring brown eyes. Cameron wondered if she could sense it as well.

She tightened her grip on his hand. "Hey," she whispered.

His head turned toward her. His eyes were open, but just barely. He rested his forehead against hers, and she could feel the pneumonia-induced fever burning her skin. "It's…"

"I know."

She saw him smile ever so slightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.

"Lucy?" He was barely audible.

"She's right here," Cameron reminded him.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes," Cameron said. She reached down to his legs, and pet Lucy's head so that she wouldn't startle her. Cameron carefully slipped her hands behind Lucy's shoulder blades, and then picked her up and brought her to Chase's face so he could see her.

Chase slowly extended his hand and ran it over Lucy's back. Cameron stayed still, knowing he was saying goodbye to her in his own way. "Thanks," he whispered. "Thanks for everything." Cameron felt her eyes filling with tears. "You be a good girl now, okay?" Lucy stared at him for a moment, and then licked his hand.

He turned to Cameron. "You be a good girl, too, okay?" He tried to smile.

She smiled back through her tears. "Okay."

"Hey," he whispered, reaching his hand up to her face. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No," he breathed. "Don't be. It's okay. I'll be okay."

"Okay," she murmured. She felt Lucy crawl out of her arms and onto Chase's chest. She laid down next to him again so that their foreheads were touching. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, enclosing Lucy between them.

"I love you," he reminded her.

"I know."

"Is it Tuesday?"

She smiled sadly. "No, it's Wednesday."

"I don't have another week to wait." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. She could feel the tears on her lashes as her eyes closed, and she knew it would be the last time.

"It's Tuesday. I love you, and we'll always be together."

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><p><strong>AN:** Please leave a review if you're feeling generous. Updates about my new writing projects will be posted on my author page shortly.


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